Psalm 103, read aloud

Psalm 103: Praise the LORD, my soul!

“Praise the LORD, my soul, and don’t forget all his benefits.” Listen to the opening, and read all twenty-two verses below.

Psalm 103 · Praise the LORD, my soul!

Read by Mia, an AI voice, from the World English Bible.

Psalm 103 World English Bible

By David.

¹Praise the LORD, my soul! All that is within me, praise his holy name!

²Praise the LORD, my soul, and don’t forget all his benefits,

³who forgives all your sins, who heals all your diseases,

⁴who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies,

⁵who satisfies your desire with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

⁶The LORD executes righteous acts, and justice for all who are oppressed.

⁷He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the children of Israel.

⁸The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness.

⁹He will not always accuse; neither will he stay angry forever.

¹⁰He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor repaid us for our iniquities.

¹¹For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his loving kindness toward those who fear him.

¹²As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

¹³Like a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.

¹⁴For he knows how we are made. He remembers that we are dust.

¹⁵As for man, his days are like grass. As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.

¹⁶For the wind passes over it, and it is gone. Its place remembers it no more.

¹⁷But the LORD’s loving kindness is from everlasting to everlasting with those who fear him, his righteousness to children’s children,

¹⁸to those who keep his covenant, to those who remember to obey his precepts.

¹⁹The LORD has established his throne in the heavens. His kingdom rules over all.

²⁰Praise the LORD, you angels of his, who are mighty in strength, who fulfill his word, obeying the voice of his word.

²¹Praise the LORD, all you armies of his, you servants of his, who do his pleasure.

²²Praise the LORD, all you works of his, in all places of his dominion. Praise the LORD, my soul!

About Psalm 103

Psalm 103 is a psalm of David with no request in it. From the first verse to the last it gives thanks. It starts with David talking to himself, “Praise the LORD, my soul!”, and widens until the angels and “all you works of his” are called to join in.

At its heart is a description of what God is like. Verse 8 echoes the words God spoke about himself to Moses in Exodus 34:6: “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness.” Then come three measures of that mercy: as high as the heavens are above the earth, as far as the east is from the west, as tender as a father with his children.

The psalm is realistic about us. “He knows how we are made. He remembers that we are dust.” Our days are like grass. Against that shortness it sets one long thing: “the LORD’s loving kindness is from everlasting to everlasting.”

When to read Psalm 103

When you can only see what is going wrong, and need to remember what God has done.
After you have asked to be forgiven, to hear the answer in verses 10 to 12.
On a birthday, an anniversary, or any day you want to give thanks.

A prayer from Psalm 103

Praise the Lord, my soul; all that is within me, praise his holy name. Don't let me forget your benefits. You forgive my sins and crown me with loving kindness and tender mercies. As far as the east is from the west, you have removed my transgressions from me. Thank you. Amen.

More psalms to listen to

All the psalms read aloud